THE Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC) has endorsed the Light Rail Transit (LRT) project in Metro Cebu, another government official said, contrary to the claim of Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña.

Director Marlene Rodriguez of the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) 7 said the agency received the DOTC endorsement last Oct. 1.

She said she also received a letter from Osmeña telling her that the project lacks an endorsement from DOTC.

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“But we can show him (Osmeña) a letter from (DOTC Secretary Leandro) Mendoza endorsing the LRT project. We will answer very soon the mayor’s letter, which we received only yesterday (Friday),” Rodriguez said.

Interviewed separately, Rep. Eduardo R. Gullas (Cebu Province, 1st district) yesterday said the DOTC has not only endorsed the LRT for Metro Cebu, but also actively participated in meetings on the project.

“The fact the DOTC has convoked several meetings (on the project) with the LGUs, it is an explicit admission that the agency is already in it. What kind of endorsement do they want?” asked Gullas, one of the project’s proponents.

“Let’s not muddle the issue,” he added.

While the LRT proposal was already submitted by the proponent, AMA Group Holdings Corp., Neda cannot yet act on it due to the lack of endorsement from the Cebu City Government.

“Some of the requirements for the project are endorsements of the RDC (Regional Development Council) and all the mayors of the cities where the LRT will be located,” Rodriguez said.

Rodriguez also said that they will also require the DOTC to submit a certification that the LRT is a “priority project” due to the similarities in several proposed projects.

“The BRT (Bus Rapid Transit) is also a project of DOTC; the DOTC is preparing for the master plan on mass transportation in Cebu,” Rodriguez said.

The RDC has not yet discussed the LRT proposal.

In an earlier interview, DOTC Undersecretary Guiling Mamondiong said his department endorsed the LRT plus the Mono Rail Transit from Talisay City to Dalaguete, Cebu and from Mandaue City to Sogod, Cebu.

The agency believes the project will disperse development to the rural areas.

Gullas clarified that the DOTC is not the project proponent, but the lead agency representing the National Government.

AMA Holdings Group Corp. has proposed a 25-year build-operate-transfer (BOT) scheme for a three-phased LRT project.

The first phase stretches 19 kilometers from Talisay to Mandaue. The second line will start from Talisay City and stretch to the southern town of Dalaguete, while the third line will take off from Mandaue City and end up in the northern town of Sogod.

Gullas found it premature to say that the Neda has no legal basis to evaluate the LRT proposal.

“Of course, the Neda will not evaluate it until the three LGUs (Talisay, Cebu and Mandaue) will have formally endorsed the project,” he said.

The endorsement will be in the form of approved resolutions from the City Councils of the three Metro Cebu cities.

The endorsement will then be tackled by the Regional Development Council, which, in turn, submits it to Neda for evaluation and approval, Gullas said.

He said he believes the LRT is still the best solution to decongest traffic in Cebu, and lamented the lack of support from at least one local official.

“The logical conclusion there is that the project will not be realized. Di man puede paluparon nato ang LRT pag-abot sa Cebu City (We cannot have the LRT leap over Cebu City),” he added. (EOB/GC)